Ask them if they can merge the PNRs into one. Then you will be protected. I've never dealt the SAS but Delta has done this for me in the past.

If they say no, then you're probably out of luck.

As I mentioned, SAS can't do this over the phone for the price I wanted.

But after a lot of research I actually subsequently found the ticket on airfare.com.

In the end, I decided to go with AA for my transatlantic flights. I'll switch in Madrid for Barcelona. It's more expensive, but the connection times are more reasonable and I think that it will be better. Plus I earn double miles on AA because of Platinum status and I can probably get better seats too.

As booking 2 separate tickets rather than one connecting ticket would mean the airline getting less money overall I wouldn't be surprised if the airline says "tough luck" - and then cancel the return leg of your missed flight to boot

I'd book the flights on one ticket.

A similar story: KLM's Canadian website defaults to the NWA US site and I couldn't book the particular KLM flights I wanted. Telephoned KLM US's office who quoted me 3X what the website showed. I ended up dealing with a CAD travel agent, who initially had difficulties as well. I paid $50 extra for one leg I particularly wanted, due to a code-share.

Linda you would make me very happy if you would give me the KLM number in the US. I am having a semi-nightmare trying to book seats with them. (Already have the tickets paid for) I have been told over and over that they have no office in the US and I have been unable to locate a phone number for said office....

You have to go through NWA for KLM flights from the US

Hello again 111op.

I have been puzzling over why SAS site won't let you book an open jaw. First, I confess I haven't visited the SAS site recently. BUT I found a couple threads on Flyertalk regarding open jaw/multi-city flights, and discussing the rules that defined 'true' open jaw or multi-city tickets.

Some examples of problems other people have had (note that in the first instance they were trying to book award travel, in the second they were trying to use a credit for an unused flight):

Open jaw: not considered open jaw if the 'leg not flown' is longer than both of the alleged open jaw legs.

i.e if for an itinerary
the 'unflown' segment B -> C is greater than both
A -> B and
C -> A

the airline, or at least their agent (Alitalia: poster was trying to fly the route using NW points) wouldn't permit it.

Example 2:

Using the Alaska airline website, poster apparently booked (apparently full fare but it wasn't clear from the thread)
A - > B
B - > A
C - > D
D - > C as a single itinerary, but when they went to change the ticket, the agent contacted said they couldn't do so because it wasn't a 'real' multi-city itinerary (I think I can see this one, it looks like two round-trip itineraries, there is no common denominator linking the second flight to the third).

I don't know if either of these situations applies to your attempted itinerary, but is it possible you have run afoul of some specific rules SAS has for open jaw? Or will they just not allow open-jaw bookings on the website, period, regardless of the city pairs?

Hi Sue, I didn't read your note carefully, but flysas.com just doesn't allow openjaw.

It's like we're back in the old days when a lot of websites just allow you to do from A to B as roundtrip and don't allow for a multicity option.

I thought that I was blind, but I called SAS and they told me that it's not possible.

I wondered how Kayak got the fares to show up, but I guess the system must use some underlying fare system (maybe Sabre?) and matches fare codes. I'm just speculating completely. On the other hand, though Kayak claims the fare is kosher, when I tried very hard last week, I only got the fare to show up once -- on airfare.com, and it added a $30 booking fee to the Kayak fare.

By the way, in case people are really curious, I wanted to book EWR-BCN and OSL-EWR.

This should be a real openjaw.

I think I need to connect through CPH on both legs.

Though SAS wouldn't allow EWR-CPH, OSL-EWR either, I discovered that I could book this on a lot of websites. And I could book CPH-BCN separately for a total fare close to the Kayak fare.

In the end, I just skipped all of this and went with AA.

I booked JFK-BCN (connect in MAD). On the return from OSL, I connect at LHR.

Thanks!

Just FYI, the JFK-Madrid flight will be on Iberia, not AA.

Thanks. It's AA code share. Do you know if that means I get 100% miles (x2)?

By the way, since you're still checking this thread, any secret tips to getting nice seats for Platinum status? I called AA and they can't book the seat on Iberia for me. And all the good seats are taken for LHR -> JFK.

Seems like such a waste.

Thanks!

This is practically an automaton response with no specific knowledge of AA, but can you check in online 24 hours in advance, at exactly the earliest moment, and hope to grab a seat then?

Maybe. Also I think yk told me that some special seats get released a few hours before departure.

That's assuming I'm really organized, and I really am not. :-)

Nonsense - how could you do those tightly-packed itineraries without organization? :)

Just set your cellphone timer to the 24-hour mark (although I think KLM actually allows check-in 36 hours in advance so double-check what AA's is).

That's a good point, WillTravel. In fact, that I'm even worrying about seats now says something about my organizational skills. :-)

I just figured that I paid about $150 extra for AA Platinum because I bought more expensive tickets a while ago and it's a shame that I've not taken advantage of this at all this year.

I recommend talking with an airlines ticket agent about this.
I got satisfactory help recently when I encountered a similar problem with online booking on Contiental airlines.
My 3-segment flight: Lisbon-D.C.\D.C.-LA\LA-Lisbon was priced at $2,600.00 on the airline website... By buying 2 compatible rd.trip tickets -- Lisbon-D.C. and D.C.-LA my total price was $1,400.00. I decided to talk to a Continental agent and she helped me get the lower price on routes that would allow me to check-in all the way through to my destination (there would have been a luggage handling problem with the connecting flight in D.C. on my return trip.)

111op- late response but we did not go out and enjoy Chile - as it was winter there and we were in flip flop and t-shirts - even if we had carry on it would not have helped - we did not have approrpriate clothing for snow weather. Honestly - I have not researched Chile at all and taking our girls 10 and 13 out and about with no idea of where we were et did not seem like a great idea...